Residents in the former Sydenham Township will lose access to the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library at the end of the year.
Library Board Chair Richard Thomas says the Meaford Public Library Board chose to terminate the ten-year service agreement, five years early.
He says they have been talking since November 7, but have been unable to find common ground.
The Library Board has now voted to terminate the contract effective December 31.
The board is committed to providing services to all residents of Meaford for 2017 and 2018 at a cost of $120,500 and $130,000 respectively.
But Thomas says Meaford's insistence on a better deal means taxpayers in Georgian Bluffs, Chatsworth and Owen Sound would have to subsidize Meaford residents.
“MPL continues to try and dictate the price and terms under which it will accept our service. This is like arriving at the cash register and telling the cashier how much you’ll pay for the item and then expecting the store to eat the additional cost. The cost of the service is the cost of the service, and nothing could be fairer than paying the same price everyone else pays for it,” Thomas says.
Meaford Public Library (MPL) Chair Peter Bantock says they will only agree to a one year contract.
Thomas says MPL also wants the confidential information of card carrying members in Sydenham, but there are privacy concerns.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that this issue has to be settled in Meaford,” Thomas says. “People who are concerned about the loss of this service need to contact the members of the Meaford Public Library Board and members of Meaford Council. We remain willing to provide library service to all Meaford residents on the same basis that all other users access our services.”
